]]>Taking a picture is pretty easy. We always have our phone with us so we tend to just snap a picture whenever we want. Digital photography has made us picture hoarders. We will snap a picture of anything just because we can. Because we really have no limits on the number of images we can take, we end up with an unorganized mess of images. Sometimes you really need external help to properly organize photo albums on Android.

1. Smart Album

One of the ways you can sort your images is by the date. Remembering what you named the album a picture is in might be hard sometimes. However, you might be able to remember the month the picture was taken. Smart Album is a photo calendar. Instead of sifting through the endless albums to find a generically labeled image, you can look for it on the calendar. Smart Album has a few different views. You can see all of the images in albums, all of the images taken in a specific month or even more specifically, the day of the month. This makes it easier to locate a picture.

2. Tool for Picasa, Google+ Photo

Picasa is a pretty decent online picture gallery. It syncs with your Android and you can have your images automatically uploaded when you take them. Tool for Picasa, Google+ Photo helps you easily manage these images right from your phone. Aside from being able to manage your albums once they are uploaded, you can also tinker with the images before you upload them. Using something like Tool for Picasa, Google+ Photo or a similar app would require a little effort on your part. Before the images are uploaded, do a small amount of organizing and it will save A LOT of time later on.

3. Photo Manager for Facebook

Similar to Tool for Picasa, Google+ Photo, Photo Manager for Facebook lets you manages your images on Facebook. Anyone who has tried to do anything but upload images to Facebook from your Android knows it is time wasted. By having an app specifically designed for the purpose of image management, you will have a fighting chance and completing the task. You will gain the ability to upload to a specific folder and download images from your Facebook account easily. Photo Manager for Facebook also helps you see all of your images and friends images easier and a little quicker than the Facebook app allows. While it seems simplistic, sometimes it feels like Facebook holds your pictures hostage once they are uploaded.

4. MINT ALBUM:Event+Photo Manager

Pictures we take represent a time in our life we want to capture forever. Mint Album gives you four different categories for albums. You select the images to go into the album. So far this isn’t anything special. The added feature is the reminders of dates. For example, if you took pictures of your spouse at your anniversary party. You can add photos from the party and you will be reminded of the anniversary automatically. Great for birthdays and other recurring events. Other album options are baby, travel and basic. All are useful for sorting your images into more searchable folders.

5. Photo Locker – Hide pictures

One way to organize pictures on your Android is to hide some of them. Photo Locker can help you keep some images out of plain sight but still accessible on your device. Not all of the images on our phones are okay for everyone to see. Parents might not want their kids to see the funny pictures they took at the holiday party where the neighbor had a little too much to drink. Photo Locker lets you hide multiple images at once, hide the app itself from the app drawer (in the paid version). Another cool thing you can do with Photo Locker is locking folders within the app. This allows someone to get into the app and see you have several folders in there, just not access them without your PIN number.

Conclusion

No matter how you organize the images on your phone, the task is a lot easier if you keep up on it. When the number of images to organize gets bigger, having an app to organize your photo album in Android will make getting back on track a lot easier. Finding the right app might take some trial and error to find the right one to fit your needs. I have seen some apps that don’t actually move the images. Instead, the app makes duplicates and puts those in a new folder. Take your time in deciding.

]]>http://www.maketecheasier.com/organize-photo-albums-on-android/feed/05 Android Apps to Become a Great Photographerhttp://www.maketecheasier.com/android-apps-for-photographer/ http://www.maketecheasier.com/android-apps-for-photographer/#commentsSat, 18 Jan 2014 00:25:48 +0000http://www.maketecheasier.com/?post_type=post-ideas&p=84838While most smartphone cameras are good, the default camera app is often lacking in features. Here is a mix of different Android apps to improve your photography.

]]>People love to take pictures and the advancements in digital photography make snapping multiple pictures a breeze. Most of the time, you will see people taking pictures with their phones or tablets instead of a standalone camera because you’re hard-pressed to find a newer smartphone with less than a 5MP camera in the rear. While the cameras are good, the camera apps can be pretty lacking.

Having a good camera app to manipulate your images or take better images will greatly increase your images and help you become a great photographer. The list below is a mix of different apps to improve your photography. Let’s get into it.

1. Camera ZOOM FX

Camera ZOOM FX adds some power to your camera. You will have up to 6x (digital) zoom. The camera on my Samsung S4 only allows for 4x. Most of the cameras out there do not let you add effects right from the app. Camera ZOOM FX does through many different add-on expansion apps.

When taking a picture, something that always needs to be adjusted is the subject in the photograph usually needs to be straightened out. Camera ZOOM FX has a setting to show different grid layovers to help you line up whatever you are taking the picture of. This will save time later on so you don’t need to edit it before you use it.

2. Perfectly Clear

A while back when I found Perfectly Clear, I was a little skeptical about its claim. What Perfectly Clear does is lets you take a picture, then run it through its processing and cleans the image up automagically. Some of the mishaps Perfectly Clear can clean up is darkness and de-ghosting. De-ghosting is that comet-like trail left when trying to capture a picture of something that’s moving.

When taking a snapshot of someone, Perfectly Clear has a Portrait mode. This mode determines the best time to take photo so you can avoid things like closed eyes. No one like to be blinking in a picture.

3. Camera FV-5 Lite

Camera FV-5 Lite offers more control over your Android camera. This is a replacement camera app like most of the others on the list. The added features you’ll gain from Camera FV-5 are exposure compensation to help manually adjust the amount of light you are letting in while you take a picture. This technique/feature will then rely more on the shutter speed. Another cool feature is support for long exposure. Have you ever been out and wanted to take a picture of the stars streaking through the sky? Long exposure is how you do it.

4. High-Speed Camera [Silent,GIF]

High-Speed Camera is an app meant to take burst images and turn them into a silent animated GIF. However, you can use it solely to take action images if you’d prefer. Some cameras don’t have a fast burst feature or take a limited number of images. High-Speed Camera will take a 50 images super fast. I think my S4 only takes 20 normally and not super fast either. If you choose to use the GIF feature, you can. That would be an added bonus.

5. Pro HDR Camera (Paid)

Cameras on most Android devices are better with each model. Instead of buying a new HDR camera, you can get an app for a few dollars and get yourself a lot of the same features and quality. A HDR camera, if you aren’t familiar, adds dynamic range to your pictures. Dynamic range is the ratio of light to dark in a photograph. How this is achieved is the camera will take three images instead of just one. The images are at varied exposure settings. This is a great and cost effective way to get really great pictures from your smartphone.

Final Words

In the end, an app can only help you become so good at photography. If you want to become a great photographer, you need lots of practice. Do you have a lot of practice at mobile photography? Let’s know any of your tips or favorite applications in the comments below.

]]>http://www.maketecheasier.com/android-apps-for-photographer/feed/26 Augmented Reality Apps You Need to Have On Your Android Phonehttp://www.maketecheasier.com/6-augmented-reality-apps-for-android/ http://www.maketecheasier.com/6-augmented-reality-apps-for-android/#commentsWed, 01 Jan 2014 15:50:15 +0000http://www.maketecheasier.com/?p=79633Augmented reality apps is a a pretty cool thing. You can get tons of real-time information on these apps without wearing a Google Glasses. Here are 6 useful ones for you.

]]>Augmented reality is a a pretty cool thing. For those of you who aren’t sure what that is, an augmented reality app will use your phone or tablet’s camera and GPS to see what you are looking at and where you are. The app will add an informational overlay with things like hotels, restaurants, games and other stuff. These kinds of apps are going to be a simple version of what you might see if you were using Google Glasses, only on your phone.

Below are a handful of apps to show you some of what’s available in the Google Play Store and get you started with augmented reality apps for Android devices. If you have any other favorites, feel free to add them in the comment section below.

1. Google Goggles

Google Goggles is an app I tried a couple of years ago that lets your phone look at and interact with the real world. Some of the features include taking a snapshot of a sudoku puzzle and have it solve for you. You can also use it as a translator for written text on posters and such. You can easily research a product by taking a picture of the item, letting Google Goggles scan the image, then doing a quick Google search.

2. Wikitude

Wikitude is a great app for anyone who travels. You’ll be able to select a category like hotels or bars/nightlife. With your GPS on, it will see what’s near you. You’ll see blips on the radar and as you turn your phone in that direction, you’ll see the name of the hotel or bar on the screen. Clicking on the name will bring up information about it. Clicking it again will give you even more details.

To mix it up a little, Wikitude has a couple of games to play. You might look a little odd to the random onlooker though. The games are also augmented reality so you will be spinning in a circle and moving your phone all around looking for the next wave of alien invaders. I tried it while I was on lunch at work and got some strange looks until I showed them what I was doing.

3. iOnRoad Augmented Driving Lite

I’m going to start out by saying, use this app at your own discretion. iOnRoad Augmented Driving Lite is an app to use while you are driving. Make sure you are not holding the phone or tablet while you are driving. Use a mount of some kind to keep the device stationery. Concentrate on the road.

That being said, iOnRoad Augmented Driving Lite is an app to try and be a little safer on the road. By helping you judge the distance to the vehicle in front of you to help you stop in time if needed. When you are driving on the highway or going over 35MPH, there is a notification if you are veering off of the road. Ideal for those times when you are tired at the end of your trip but almost to your destination.

4. Car Finder AR (Paid)

Have you ever been to the mall or ball game and came out after a couple of hours only to forget where you left your car? Car Finder AR is out there to help you with that. Mark the location of your parked car and find it later on the cool looking radar or 3D maps to find it. If that’s all Car Finder AR did, I wouldn’t be talking about it. Some of the other more useful features are parking meter time alerts helping you remember to feed the meter. A map helping you get the nearest parking lot or structure. You can track up to three cars. There is the ability to send the location of the vehicle via Whatsapp or a few others as well as getting driving or walking directions to your car. Great for those times when you drive into the city then take a cab to your destinations.

5. AR GPS Compass Map 3D

AR GPS Compass Map 3D is an on-screen compass. While this might sound a little bland, using it is a different story. If you have used some backpacking type apps, you’ll see a difference when using AR GPS Compass Map 3D. The compass overlay is really nice looking and the waypoint overlay on the satellite view of the map is great. One cool use is Geocaching. You can set the waypoints then follow the green arrow to your destination and prize.

6. Street Lense

When you are out and about in the world, you can get a little lost. You might be walking around a city you are visiting and need to get a bite to eat. Street Lense will give you an overlay showing where you can find places to eat, hotels, and other businesses you might need while you are out. You can also see them in a list view for easier viewing if there are a lot of places listed. Clicking on the business will give you more information.

The apps listed here can add a little fun to getting around town or great when you are on a vacation. They offer a techy way to find where you are going and be safe while you are doing it.

Do you have a favorite augmented reality app for Android not listed here? Let us know what it is in the comments.

]]>http://www.maketecheasier.com/6-augmented-reality-apps-for-android/feed/4Customize and Select Which Notifications You Want To See In Androidhttp://www.maketecheasier.com/customize-notifications-in-android/ http://www.maketecheasier.com/customize-notifications-in-android/#respondFri, 20 Dec 2013 00:25:53 +0000http://www.maketecheasier.com/?p=81816The Android notification area can be too messy at times. NotifyClean allows you to customize and select which notifications you want to see.

]]>The Android notification bar is super useful. We’ve talked about several uses for this notification space such as adding reminder notes or adding application shortcuts. The thing about the Android notification bar is, it can get a bit congested. With all of the cool things you can do with it and see, it becomes a more of a nuisance than a useful tool. NotifyClean is an app made to help you regain your Android notification bar on rooted devices.

Installation and setup

Instead of an app that works immediately after installation, NotifyClean is more of a module for Xposed Framework. When the app starts, if you have not install the framework, it will prompt you to install it.

Installing the NotifyClean app from the Play store doesn’t really make it work in your phone, you will still have to install the NotifyClean module in Xposed Framework. When installing them, make sure to read the screen as you step through the process. It makes the installation go right the first time.

When the Xposed framework is installed and running, you will be able to see any updates for NotifyClean or the framework itself. If updates are available, download and install them followed by a reboot. Make sure to reboot at almost every step along the way or you will keep getting error messages and your frustration level will peak.

Using NotifyClean

After everything is up and running, when you open NotifyClean, you should see a screen with the different applications on your rooted Android device that have placed a notification in your notification bar recently.

To see previous notification displayed, you can click on the app tile. If nothing is displayed, there may not have been any notifications since NotifyClean was installed.

To halt any further notifications, you can tap on the specific event in the list or on the <All notifications, even unknown> option. What these two options will do for you is let you choose which notifications to see from specific apps.

While you are looking at the previous notifications, press the menu button in the top right of the window to get to the settings for this app remove all of the stored notifications.

Conclusion

At first I didn’t think there was much of a use for me to use NotifyClean. Once I had it all setup and was playing with it for a couple of days, I saw one use that made it really worth it for me. I take a lot of screen captures on my tablet for articles. After each screenshot, I need to go to the notification bar and clear out the notification so the icon doesn’t show up in the next screen grab. NotifyClean lets me halt that notification while keeping all of the other System UI messages. To me, that is useful.

Another use might be to eliminate email notifications from specific people or companies from showing up. Not all email apps have easy to use filters like Gmail does or should I say, not everyone knows how to or cares to use them. This method might be a little easier to use for some people.

]]>http://www.maketecheasier.com/customize-notifications-in-android/feed/0What Is The Xposed Framework And How Can It Benefit You [Android]http://www.maketecheasier.com/what-is-xposed-framework-android/ http://www.maketecheasier.com/what-is-xposed-framework-android/#respondWed, 18 Dec 2013 00:25:11 +0000http://www.maketecheasier.com/?p=85149Instead of switching to a custom ROM, you can make use of Xposed Framework to add additional features to your Android phone. And it doesn't require you to be technically competent.

]]>A framework is, for ease of this explanation, a base for building an application. When you use a framework, some of the heavy lifting is already done for you so you can really concentrate on the application you are making and not all of the little issues known to plague developers. This article is not going to be about how to code. What I will be talking about here is the Xposed framework.

One thing good about Android phone is that if you don’t like the ROM that comes with your phone, you can easily flash a custom ROM. The problem is, flashing a new custom ROM is not an easy job, and if it is not done properly, it could brick your phone. In addition, the custom ROM might not contain all the features you want. This is where Xposed Framework comes in.

Xposed framework is a base application for rooted Android devices allowing the installation of numerous modules. The modules will let you easily customize your Android without having to install a new ROM or kernel. What makes the modules different from those apps in the Play Store is that the modules make changes to the system level and modify certain behavior of the phone. They will require root permission, which most apps in the Play store don’t have access to.

Installing the Xposed framework

The first thing you will need to do is install the Xposed framework. Head over to their site and download the APK file. Remember, you will need to already have your Android rooted and the option turned on in your Android settings menu to install apps from apk file.

Follow the basic instructions and make sure to reboot your Android device after the Xposed framework is installed and you’ve started it.

Xposed Framework Modules

Once the Xposed framework is up and running, you will need to find some modules. The modules let you tweak apps without messing with the APK file. Some of the modules are pretty simple tweaks while others change a lot. Let’s take a look at a some of them to give you an idea of what’s out there.

All Notifications Expanded

I am not a fan of how the Android notification bar decides which notifications to expand and which to collapse. I’d rather have all of them displayed as expanded for easier access on my end. This is the module I use to help with that.

PerAppFonts

PerAppFonts lets you change the fonts on your Android. You can either change the fonts globally or for individual apps. For example, you want to have a graffiti style app for your menus but not when you are reading the web or on your Kindle app. The PerAppFonts module can make that happen.

YouTube AdAway

YouTube Away lets you eliminate the ads when you are watching videos on YouTube. This module also eliminates branding layers (Logo and videos suggestions) and countries restrictions. If your country tells you what you can’t watch, this module might help you out.

App Settings

App Settings is a really useful module. When installed, you will have the ability to tweak different settings like enabling full screen mode, hiding the title bar and changing the font scale. These settings can be changed on a per-app basis. If there is an app you use all of the time, you can tweak it to your liking with this module.

Conclusion

The Xposed framework can be super useful as a way to tweak the way apps react to certain actions or the way they look. A lot of times, a custom ROM can be a compromise. You might be installing the custom ROM to achieve a few features but dislike others. Adding the Xposed framework might be a good way for you to get what you want with minimal work.

Are there things about your Android ROM you’d like to change? Which one of the Xposed framework modules might help?

]]>Using a smartphone of any kind these days means you have apps and lots of them. While a lot of the devices out there have some method to change from one app to the other, many people don’t know how to do this quickly. Usually it’s head back to the home screen, and click the app to open. The other common way is to go to the app drawer, sift through the sea of apps to find what you are looking for.

Going through the Google Play Store, you can find a few task switcher apps to help you change from one app to another. They have varying degrees of ease of use. Switchr is a really easy to use task switcher app for Android to help you change your apps quickly and easily with a swipe of your finger. Let’s take a look at how you can use Switchr to be more efficient.

Getting Started

Head on over to the Google Play Store and download Switchr. When you have it up and running, you can walk through the quick tutorial. The tutorial will show you the basics of operating Switchr.

Using Switchr

Using Switcher to change apps is pretty smooth. The free version doesn’t let you change the active edge so you’ll be touching the upper left edge of your screen.

You’ll see that area flash when exiting the wizard. To change apps, swipe from the upper left of the screen toward the middle. That’s all there is to it.

All of the apps you’ve previously opened will be accessible to the free version of Switchr.

With the upgrade, you can access more apps and also whitelist and blacklist app that might appear in the list. If you swipe to switch an app and it isn’t the one you want, you can zig-zag your finger on the screen touching the active edge, then to the center, then back to the active edge and back to the center without lifting your finger.

When you are switching apps, you will see a semi-see through image of the app icon so you know which app you are changing to. The free version offers only one view.

Why Use an App Switcher

You might not think that an app switcher is useful in Android. Let me give you a couple of examples on how you might use an app switcher to be more efficient.

1.If you are on the web and need to quickly change back and forth to your calendar or note taking app to copy and paste information.

2. Laptop users many times like to use the keyboard shortcuts. Since there really aren’t keyboard shortcuts on Androids, this will be like your “Alt + Tab” keyboard shortcut.

3. You have other apps on your Android which use gestures like Dolphin browser and want to carry that into other areas of your device.

Conclusion

Overall, I thought Switchr worked great. I played with the sensitivity a little to make it less sensitive so I didn’t activate it accidentally. Once I got the hang of using it intentionally, I really started to see the benefit. I liked using it to quickly from whatever I was doing to change to an IM then back. I usually have a lot of apps open so I rarely need to go to my home screen anymore.

]]>http://www.maketecheasier.com/switchr-task-switcher-android/feed/2Use TOR On Android to Protect Your Privacyhttp://www.maketecheasier.com/use-tor-android-protect-privacy/ http://www.maketecheasier.com/use-tor-android-protect-privacy/#commentsThu, 24 Oct 2013 23:25:56 +0000http://www.maketecheasier.com/?p=80222It is easy to connect to TOR network on the desktop, but what about Android? How can you run Tor on Android and protect your privacy? We'll show you how.

]]>We have shown you how to connect to TOR network so you can surf privately and anonymously, but what if you are surfing mostly on your Android phone? What can you do to protect your privacy?

Using Orbot to connect to the TOR network is a way to hide your identity online. Using TOR on Android will change your IP address through the use of a proxy server to better hide your identity. This system will work with searches, social network accounts and other things you might do in your digital life. You don’t need a rooted phone for this to work, but you will have a greater level of anonymity if your pphone is rooted.

Getting Started with TOR

There are several ways to download Orbot. If you are concerned about where you are downloading the app, you can choose the Google Play Store or the Guardian Project site itself. It is also available on Amazon Appstore and F-Droid. All of them offer the exact same download, but you can choose the source that is most convenient and trustworthy.

Once you have installed the app, you’ll want to start with the wizard. The wizard is pretty straight forward and walks you through the steps of what apps work well with Orbot.

You will also be given many different options, especially if your device is rooted, like having all of the applications run through Orbot or only specific ones.

If you have your device rooted, you’ll need to grant Orbot superuser access all of the time. Otherwise, when you start an app like DuckDuckGo, the connection might not be there.

Without changing any settings, the Google Chrome search widget did not work initially. I need to reboot my tablet for the other apps to be rerouted through the proxy server. Once everything is reset, you can open a web browser and go to a site that checks your IP address and see if the IP address shows a different location than where you actually are. Since my tablet is rooted, even the preinstalled Google Chrome browser and search widget goes through a proxy server.

Some of the applications like Firefox and Twitter may need to be configured or have add-ons. This is more for the non-rooted users or those choosing not to use the transparent proxy feature. With Twitter, go to the Settings and select Proxy. In this tab, you’ll be asked to enable this option as well as set the proxy host and proxy port.

With Firefox, you simply need to download an addon.

If you would like other apps specifically made to work with the system, there is a web browser, DuckDuckGo search engine and an Instant Messenger as well as Twitter and Firefox. These applications and addons can be downloaded directly from the setup wizard or you can always go to The Guardian Project website and download them.

A point to note is that to install the APK files you downloaded, you have to enable the option to install apps not from the Google Play Store, just like you would if you install something from the Amazon app store.

Using TOR for Android

Once everything is configured, you should be able to use applications like normal. While you are using your Android , the IP address will periodically change to better hide your personal information and keep your connections more secure.

For Android users without rooted devices, you will need to install the applications like DuckDuckGo, make adjustments to the Official Twitter app, and use either the Firefox browser or the Orweb browser or you will not be protected and just have another app running in the background.

Conclusion

While there are some limitations to this privacy and security option, especially for non-root users, there are some great advantages as well. If you are the type of person that connects to every single free WiFi available to help limit data usage, you might be an easier target than someone else. By having a little added security, you can definitely feel a little more at ease.

]]>http://www.maketecheasier.com/use-tor-android-protect-privacy/feed/4Get Your Android to Read Out SMS For A Total Hands-free Experiencehttp://www.maketecheasier.com/read-out-sms-android/ http://www.maketecheasier.com/read-out-sms-android/#commentsThu, 05 Sep 2013 23:25:44 +0000http://www.maketecheasier.com/?p=79637It can be a distraction to view your SMS while driving. ReadItToMe for Android can read out SMS so you can have a total hands-free experience.

]]>Police are really cracking down on the use of phones while driving. Everything on your phone is really a distraction, be it your navigation, music player, having a conversation or texting. One way to eliminate some of the distraction is to have your Android read out the SMS to you. ReadItToMe is just the app to do that for you. The name kind of gives away what the app is all about, but there are some really cool and helpful features available in the free version and even more in the paid version.

The Basics

The first thing I noticed is a feature I disliked other apps for not having. You can choose when you’d like the messages read. For example, you can have the messages read to you when you only have your headphones in. An example of this being handy is if you are a working out and don’t want to break your rhythm to see if the arriving message is the one you are waiting for. Similarly, you can have the messages only read to you when you are hooked up to a Bluetooth device. Make sure you are comfortable with anyone in your car hearing your messages being read aloud if you use Bluetooth in your vehicle.

Another really handy option is to be able to choose the delivery method for each contact individually. This lets you set the global setting to do not read but have messages from important people like your spouse or kids read aloud.

Using ReadItToMe

To get started using ReadItToMe, download the app from the Google Play Store. Once installed and started, you will be asked if you want to learn to use ReadItToMe or just wing it. Take the time to go through the tutorial. It really explains the basics and you can see how easy it is to use and what it can do for you.

Go through the settings and tick the boxes you’d like to enable. Here is a screen shot of what I chose.

The settings are pretty well laid out. You will see different tabs. Accessing them is a simple scroll left or right to get to the column you’d like to see. Some of the tabs are only accessible with the pro version. The pro version opens up access to other apps. What I mean is, if you have the pro version, you can have your messages read in your third-party apps like Google Hangout. Also, you can reply via voice with the pro version.

Final words

I tried out ReadItToMe for a few days before starting the review. What I found was, it worked really well overall. I had no troubles with the Bluetooth and headphone only options. I also used it for specific contacts who I chat with a lot. It worked well.

What I found was, there were times when I didn’t want to have the messages spoke to me but forgot to turn off ReadItToMe. Also, I had some troubles with ReadItToMe still speaking the name of the person when I asked it not to in the settings. The voice reply and everything else worked well for me.

Do you use an app for safely messaging or having your messages read to you? What is your reasoning for using an app like this?

]]>http://www.maketecheasier.com/read-out-sms-android/feed/1Everything Home Changes the Homescreen Automatically When You Do a Search [Android]http://www.maketecheasier.com/everything-home-launcher-android/ http://www.maketecheasier.com/everything-home-launcher-android/#commentsWed, 04 Sep 2013 14:50:33 +0000http://www.maketecheasier.com/?p=79635Fancy an intelligent Android home launcher that can automatically modify your phone to suit your needs when you need it? Everything Home is a dynamic Android Home launcher that changes your homescreen instantly when you do a search.

]]>Let’s face it, there are a lot of home screen launchers out there. Something all of these launchers have in common is, you need to decide what apps are on the home screens and what the background image is. When you want to change how you are using a home screen, you need to make the changes manually. Well, until now that is.

When sifting through apps in the Google Play Store recently, I came across a pretty neat home screen launcher. It’s called Everything Home. What Everything Home does is change the icons and look of your home screens based on your search terms. Pretty interesting huh? Let’s take a look at how it works.

Starting out

You will obviously need to download Everything Home from the Google Play Store. Once you download it and open it, you will be asked if you’d like to have it as your main home screen launcher. If you do, set it as your default and move on to the fun. That’s really all the setup you’ll have to endure.

Using Everything Home

You can make adjustments to your home screen like it were any other home screen launcher out there. Add widgets, folders and other items to your home screens. They will be momentarily replaced when you receive your search results.

To get the full value from Everything Home, you need to use the search bar at the top of the screen. In this example, I searched for the generic term “soccer”. As you can see in the screen grab below, the background image and all of the icons are different and geared toward soccer in some way. Pretty cool huh?

Here are some other searches:

New York City

See how the icons changed to shortcuts you might find useful while navigating through NYC?

Cross Country Trip

Take a look at the options you are given here. Would they help you plan a trip across the country?

Eating Healthy

There are some pretty good resources here for eating better in my opinion.

Summer Activities for Kids

If you are asked to babysit and need some ideas for activities, these would surely help.

As you can see, Everything Home can be really useful when using your Android to search for pretty much anything on the web, not just certain things.

When making a search, you might need to better direct Everything Home. Select whether you’d like to have your results reflect Web search, images or other options.

You can also refine your searches if you press the three vertical dots at the top right of the search results. As you know, narrowing your results in Google can be really helpful to get the information you are in search of.

Other stuff

Something else worth mentioning is, apps are placed into categories and folders. This helps make more sense of the mess we call our app drawer.

When the results are shown for your search and the home screen is changed, you will see app suggestions as well.

Final words

While there isn’t a lot to show with Everything Home, it is something you can really have fun trying out. When I first downloaded it, I tried a lot of different searches to see what popped up for shortcuts and what it chose for a background image. I thought there were a lot of really good images and the icons really were helpful and sped up the process when doing some research.

]]>http://www.maketecheasier.com/everything-home-launcher-android/feed/3Using Google Now Like a Prohttp://www.maketecheasier.com/using-google-now-like-pro/ http://www.maketecheasier.com/using-google-now-like-pro/#commentsSun, 01 Sep 2013 14:50:02 +0000http://www.maketecheasier.com/?p=79629Most Android users don't even know the existence of Google Now, nor are using them to the fullest. Check these tricks out to use Google Now like a pro.

]]>Most Android users I know admit they aren’t using their smart phones to near the potential they could. Well, as a pretty active Android user, I thought I would let you in on some of the coolness that you can do with Google Now. Most of the newer devices have it installed. If not, you can download the Google Search app to get Google Now.

What is Google Now?

Google Now is like a concierge built into Google Search for Android. You can ask Google Now to do various tasks for you. Tasks can range from setting an alarm, sending a SMS to someone or many other useful things. I am sure you can think of some reasons why you may want to complete tasks with your voice.

Using Google Now

Google Now has several different parts to it. As I mentioned, it is part of Google Search so the Google Search widget is a good place for us to start. Most devices have the Google Search widget on your homescreen. To start using Google Now, press the microphone icon in the widget.

Now, you have a couple of choices here. First press the music note at the bottom right of the box. This will listen for music being played nearby and tells you the artist and song. Also, you can quickly buy the song from Google Play Store.

After you’ve tried that, let’s move on to the other cool things you can do. Press the microphone on the Google Search widget again. This time, scroll down a little. If you haven’t used Google Now until now, you can see a list of a lot of actions it can perform for you. You may have seen the older Google commercials where people were asking their Google Nexus questions. This is one of the options.

So is saying things like, “Remind me to pick up milk at 5PM.” Or Send a text to Chad saying “Let’s meet for lunch today.”

Here is a quick list of possible tasks.

Send SMS.

Ask Google a question.

Make a phone call.

Ask for directions.

Set alarms.

Set reminders.

Make calendar appointments.

Navigate to a web page.

Play music or other media in your Google Play account.

Cards

Another part of Google Now is the information cards. The cards show timely information about things you are interested in. Also, the more you use your phone and Google Search, the more detailed the cards will get. Some things to start on are your favorite sports team schedule. I am a soccer fan and follow the Portland Timbers in the MLS. I have my Google Now setup to show a card when they have an upcoming game.

Other cards will show things like your flight information and if the flight is on time or not. If you let Google Now know important places or have addresses on your Google Calendar appointments, you will be notified of the time it should take you to get there from your current location and how the traffic is on the preferred route.

For people who travel, there is a card showing nearby events. This is really handy if you are looking for something to do while on a business trip or vacation or if you are just bored on a Saturday afternoon.

Weather is another card. Depending on the device, you will have different options here. Generally, you will see the temperature, humidity, potential for precipitation and the forecast for the next few days. You can set your home location to always show. You can also see the weather for your current location for when you are away from your home location.

Other apps

What I like about using Google Now for Notes is you are not limited to using Google Keep to store notes. You can set the default note app to be whatever you use a lot. For example, you can use Evernote to store the notes you speak into Google Now .

This makes it easier for you to integrate Google Now and voice actions into your daily routine.

Final thoughts

Are you using your Android to its full potential? What are your thoughts on Google Now and using voice inputting your commands?

]]>http://www.maketecheasier.com/using-google-now-like-pro/feed/1Pocket Casts: Easily the Best Podcast App For Androidhttp://www.maketecheasier.com/pocket-casts-android-podcast-app/ http://www.maketecheasier.com/pocket-casts-android-podcast-app/#commentsSat, 24 Aug 2013 14:50:52 +0000http://www.maketecheasier.com/?p=79631Most of the existing podcast apps are either lacking in features or too complicated to use. Pocket Casts is the best Android podcast app you can get.

]]>With the death of Google Reader, I decided to switch to listening to podcasts rather than reading news feeds. The problem was, there weren’t really any good choices readily available for a podcast aggregator. Most of the existing Android podcast apps are either lacking in features or too complicated to use. What I was looking for was something like Google Reader, but for podcasts. I needed a player and something that will check for new podcasts as well as sync with other devices.

In my hunt, I came across the app Pocket Casts. Yes it is a paid app. We don’t usually talk about the paid apps if there is a free version of something that will do an equally good job. In my opinion, this is the best Android podcast app you can find in Google Play.

What Pocket Casts does

What I like is the ability to import a list of previously accumulated podcasts. There is an option to import an OPML file. This saves a lot of time if you are using another feed reader or were using Google’s Listen app.

If you are just starting out, you can easily add podcasts by searching for the website. Another option is to search for a keyword like “Major League Soccer”. The results will pull up all the possibilities out there.

When clicking on the podcast, you will see the description, recent episodes and the option to add it to your list.

When subscribed, you will see the latest episode and have the option to download it to your device. What’s nice is, you can also stream it using Pocket Casts or in an external player.

Settings

In the settings, you have several choices to set up how the podcasts are downloaded and played. One nice feature I have not come across before is being able to start several seconds in to avoid having to listen to the intro or intro music.

Another good option is to have the app check for new episodes once a day. This will save on battery life. Also, you can find options to delete the downloaded files after the episode has been played to help save space and clutter on your device.

If you know you’d like all of the newest episodes of a podcast to download, you can set this up to do it automatically. Be careful not to have too many download automatically or you could go through a lot of data or fill up your phone storage quickly.

Syncing

One of the features that really sold me was the syncing from device to device. There is a free account needed which I gladly signed up for. The syncing is really useful for me. Sometimes I am listening to a podcast on the commute home from work and resume it on my tablet when I arrive home. I don’t need to figure out where I was in the episode when I move to a different device.

Final thoughts

Overall, this is the best Android podcast aggregator I have tried to date. Unless something goes horribly awry with it, I won’t be looking for other alternatives. With all of the basic features handled, including a good looking and easy to use player with controls on the lock screen, there leaves little to desire for my needs. The added features like the smart playlists are all a plus when it comes to listening to several different sites.

Do you listen to podcasts regularly? What apps do you use on your Android to find and listen to them?

]]>http://www.maketecheasier.com/pocket-casts-android-podcast-app/feed/1Make Your Android Look Like A Windows Phone 8http://www.maketecheasier.com/make-android-look-like-windows-phone-8/ http://www.maketecheasier.com/make-android-look-like-windows-phone-8/#commentsWed, 21 Aug 2013 14:50:24 +0000http://www.maketecheasier.com/?p=79429The good thing about Android is that you can customize everything to your liking. If you own an Android phone, but love the Windows Phone 8 interface, here's how you can make Android look like Windows Phone 8.

]]>Since I got myself an Android phone, I had little urge to get an iPhone or anything Microsoft put out in the last few years. However, I must admit that the live tiles and the way Windows Phone 8 works is pretty slick. The other day I was looking through the Google Play Store and came across some apps and themes to make my Android look like Windows phone 8. Then I came across Ariku Launcher.

Ariku Launcher is a cool launcher with a lot of different settings to give you the look of a Windows 8 device. Let’s take a look at how it works.

Starting out

You will need to head over to the Google Play Store and download the launcher and install it. To start messing around the launcher, press the home button and make it the default launcher. If you are just trying it out, depending on the Android version you are using, you could use the “Just once” option.

You will be at the default layout. Your wallpaper will remain the same, but the screen will be covered mainly by the tiles. With the tiles, it is pretty hard to see so possibly changing it to a solid color might lend to a more appealing layout. From here you can make changes like most home screens to customize it how you’d like to use it.

You should see a wrench in the bottom left corner. This is where you get to the settings. If your device has a menu button, it will get you there too. The settings menu lets you change all kinds of goodies. Click on the tab for what you’d like to make adjustments to.

The tiles tab lets you adjust colors and transparencies. The desktop tab lets you make adjustments like having a screen lock (locking the tiles to the screen) , scroll effect and the wallpaper transparency.

The Preferences offers a lot of things to change. What will be useful is to take a look at the gestures. Swiping up with two fingers gets you to the app drawer, down with two fingers gets you to the Preferences. To change what the gestures do, tap on the option and choose a new action for it from the list.

The tiles

The tiles are the biggest part of what makes Windows 8’s look unique. When adding an app to the home screen, the process is the same. However, when the shortcut is added, you can make some changes to it. Mainly the size. You may have a lot of room on the screen and you’d like to have it taken up by a Gallery shortcut. Press and drag the arrow in the bottom right corner to resize it. To change the color, press the pencil at the top left.

Widgets can also be added to your home screen in the same manner. edited similarly too. Further customizing can be done using Apex/Nova/Go/Adw icon packs.

What’s cool too is, you can have different home screen layouts and save them. Once saved, you can restore them later on with a few clicks.

Final thoughts

While Ariku Launcher is only cosmetic, it offers a good way to add the Windows 8 look to your Android without sacrificing all of the features you’ve come to know and love about the Android OS.

What are your opinions on the Windows 8 devices? Let us know in the comments below.

]]>Privacy is a concern for most people these days. Whether you are looking to keep your information private from a snooping coworker or a nosey boyfriend or girlfriend, there are apps to help. The problem is, some of the apps are just plain awful. What I will go over today are some good apps to use for keeping texts and images from being easily accessed.

Some of the apps in this list have some built in functionality for just such a task. Others may need to be unlocked by purchasing the pro version. Others yet are made specifically for hiding SMS messages or images from any prying eyes.

1. GO SMS Pro

GO SMS Pro is a really popular app. In fact, it is the one I have used off and on for couple of years. One feature I didn’t really know about was the ability to have private contacts. In a nutshell, you can take a contact, a potential employer for example, and place them in your private inbox. If they send you a text message, you will need to unlock the message before it can be read.

When you have the premium version of GO SMS Pro, you can hide the private SMS inbox from the menu and unlock more of the settings to make it more difficult to access. What I like here is the ability to rename the SMS vault inbox to something a little less conspicuous.

2. Hi App Lock

Very recently I talked about Hi App Lock. This is a good option for locking individual Android apps for better privacy. You can easily use Hi App Lock to lock down anywhere you feel an onlooker may be able to access the information you’d like to keep private. Think about how often you leave your phone or tablet on your desk or in your car or backpack unattended. If your Android device was stolen, what would people be able to see and/or do with the information they find?

Do you send messages to someone you aren’t supposed to? Are your work text messages or images you take with your work camera confidential? No reason for you to have information leaked just because you set your phone down.

3. Vault

Vault is an app that’s come a long way in the past couple of years. When I first tested it, all you could do was hide images and it wasn’t all that great at it. Now Vault has evolved into more of a privacy control center. With the free version, you can encrypt your images, you can also encrypt a limited number of text messages too.

A feature I really thought could be helpful is the option to link your Facebook account and encrypt your Facebook messages. When you send a Facebook message to someone, they will be able to read it, but the message doesn’t show up in your conversation history.

4. Secrets

Secrets is similar to Vault because you can hide images or other files. It’s different because the Secrets doesn’t show up in the Android app drawer. Opening Secrets is done by going to your phone dialer and typing the default 1111 and pressing send. You will be prompted to enter a code then you can see your hidden files. Having an app for just your images can be nice, especially when you might have taken or received some images you might not want anyone to know about.

5. Hide SMS

Hide SMS is just for hiding text messages. Hiding the messages is as simple as long pressing the message and opting to move the message to the hidden inbox. When a new message arrives, You will see an inconspicuous message in your notification bar saying KeepSafe updated. When hiding a current thread, the app may not move your images over. They didn’t on my Samsung S3.

Conclusion

People have many different reasons for wanting to keep their communications private. The above apps are there to help. I would recommend trying some of the all-in-one apps for an ease of use standpoint. When you have too many apps on your phone for similar tasks, it can get confusing and could even slow down or cause conflicts with each other.

]]>Privacy is a big concern with me. I think about all the information going through my phone on a daily basis and it freaks me out. For this reason, I like to lock certain apps over and above the normal Android security options. App Lock (Hi App Lock) allows you to lock Android apps and provide some added security for your phone.

Locking Individual Android Apps

A good example of an app to add additional security to would be your email or Facebook app. Both of these will potentially give someone A LOT of personal information about you. Once downloaded and installed to your Android device, you will need to start it with a simple tap of the icon. You will need to make a master PIN to unlock Hi App Lock in the future.

The next screen will ask you to start choosing apps and basic functions to individually lock. Some of the basic functions are: messaging, incoming calls and the Google Play Store.

Lock an app by toggling the switch to the right of the name of the app or function.

When you lock an app, you will need to enter your master PIN to unlock it each and every time.

Using Hi App Lock

I took some time in trying out this app to see how secure it is. There are actually some really nice features to aid in the everyday person not having access to any apps you’d like to keep private. A lot of parents I know let their younger kids play games on their phone but want to bar them from accessing their email or Google Play Store for example. Hi App Lock is a great option.

Other Settings

One thing apps like this usually have is an icon in the notification bar. While this notification is helpful to let you know the app is running, it tells the would-be snoop exactly what app you are using to block the apps. Hi App Lock offers a couple of ways to hide itself from view. Some of the features are what you could consider self preservation features. What I mean by that is, they help the app stay on the phone and make it more secure to use.

Something I haven’t seen as a feature on all apps like this one is the option to set it as an app administrator. This may seem a bit scary but what it means is, Hi App Lock will be able to prevent the uninstallation of itself. What’s the point of a security app if someone can just uninstall it and access your info?

Another cool self preservation feature is Hi App Lock can be hidden from the “Running Apps” list. This means if the person snooping knows enough to try and Force Quit the app, it will not be an option in the list and therefore cannot be killed simply.

Purchasing the premium version will add more features to disguise Hi App Lock and give you even more security. One nice addition is being able to have different passwords for different apps. There is a feature letting you start Hi App Lock based on the time of day or which Wi-Fi network you are on.

Conclusion

The reasons to lock individual apps for better privacy can vary from person to person. Whatever your reason is, there is a need to have your apps secure. When you want to keep your privacy, the best option is an app made for the purpose, not one that just has securing features.

Do you think someone might be going through your phone? How do you lock your individual apps for better privacy? Let us know in the comment section below.

]]>http://www.maketecheasier.com/lock-android-apps/feed/0How to Limit Apps Permissions In Android 4.3http://www.maketecheasier.com/limit-apps-permissions-in-android-4-3/ http://www.maketecheasier.com/limit-apps-permissions-in-android-4-3/#respondWed, 07 Aug 2013 14:50:28 +0000http://www.maketecheasier.com/?p=78746While installing app in Android, it will show you the various permission the app has access to. If you really like the app, but are not comfortable with the permission, Permission Manager is one good app for you to limit the app permission.

]]>Other than customization, another thing that is associated with Android is the privacy and security issue. Many times, you have heard of yet another virus/malware that got past the Google Play store and infected thousands of handset. As a user, what tools do you have to protect yourselves?

When you install an app, you will be shown the various permissions required by the app. You can then decide if you want to grant the app the permissions it needs and install the app. What if there is an app you’d really like but you don’t want to grant access to your GPS or something like that? If you are one of the lucky few who have Android 4.3 running on your phones, you can install an app called Permission Manager from the Google Play Store to limit apps permissions.

How Permission Manager Works

Once downloaded and installed, you will see a screen that look somewhat familiar – the “Manage Apps” screen. The layout is the same with the columns and you are able to swipe from column to column. The difference is, the App ops screen in Permission Manager sorts the apps and processes into the general permissions the different apps have access to. Some of them are: personal, messaging and location.

Using Permission Manager

Adjusting the permissions for an individual app is pretty straightforward. When you find an app you’d like to make changes to, press on it to open the next screen. This screen will show all of the permissions you might have an interest in changing. Some apps might have access to your Location. App such as weather widgets and apps for social media often require this permission.

Turning off a permission is as simple as pressing the ON/OFF button to the side of the permission in the list.

Once you toggle the access on or off, you can press the back button and move on to the next app. While not totally necessary, its not usually a bad idea to reboot your Android to make sure the apps all shut down and restart with the new modified permission access.

Keep in mind, when disallowing access to a specific permission, like location for example, you might lose some core functionality of the app, which render it useless.

Final Words

Permission Manager does not require root access to operate. Something was opened up in Android 4.3 to allow this app to toggle access on and off. While many apps allow you to shut off features or ask you when it is OK to use something you might not be comfortable with it accessing, other apps are not so polite. Take the time and look through some of the apps you have installed on your Android phone or tablet. See if they are accessing things you are not comfortable with. If yes, you can shut down those little bits without having to uninstall them.

Do you have a way to manage permissions? Let us know in the comment section below.

]]>http://www.maketecheasier.com/limit-apps-permissions-in-android-4-3/feed/0Use F-Droid to Install Open Source Android Appshttp://www.maketecheasier.com/use-f-droid-to-install-open-source-android-apps/ http://www.maketecheasier.com/use-f-droid-to-install-open-source-android-apps/#commentsMon, 29 Jul 2013 23:25:41 +0000http://www.maketecheasier.com/?post_type=post-ideas&p=78527If you have a passion for free and open source (FOSS) software, F-Droid is a marketplace for you to find all the FOSS Android apps.

]]>When it comes to Android apps, most people will think of the Google Play store where they download or purchase apps. Most of the time, those apps you downloaded are closed source and are controlled by developers. If you have a passion for free and open source (FOSS) software, F-Droid is a marketplace for you to find all the FOSS Android apps.

Let’s take a look at how the process works.

Getting Started

F-Droid is an application that you download onto your device. Having the app on your Android will let it check the compatibility of your device with those apps in the market. You only see apps that will work on your phone or tablet or with the version of the Android OS installed on your device.

To download F-Droid, scan the QR code on its site or click here on your Android device. This will prompt you to download the app. If you haven’t installed an app from an APK file or from a market other than the Google Play Store, you will be prompted to allow unknown app install.

Once downloaded and installed, F-Droid will check your device for compatibility with the apps in its market. The compatibility check can take a few minutes to complete. When it’s through, the apps you see should all work on your Android device.

Finding an Open Source Android App

Now that F-Droid can see what’s compatible with your device, it’s time to take a look at what’s’ available to download. The first screen you will see is the “What’s New” tab. Here you will see a few apps new to the F-Droid Market.

Viewing all of the available apps is as simple as tapping on the words “What’s New” in the top left corner and select the “All” option from the category list. Here you will see the everything in the open source market.

Something you will notice is a lack of previews/screenshots. Many times, these open source Android apps have a website or are also available in the Google Play Store for download.

You can also read more about them if you need more information or reviews before you decide to download an app. To access the website or link to the Google Play Store, tap the menu button at the top right of the app description on F-Droid to see a drop-down with your options.

Conclusion

Whenever you are dealing with open source apps, there can be a feeling of the app being a work in progress. While this may be the case, many times these apps solve a very specific problem or offer a free alternative to an app you’d otherwise need to pay for. If you are an app developer or would like to be, using one of these open source Android apps can be a great starting point for you to create a very useful app of your own.

What are your feelings about open source Android apps? Let us know in the comments below if you use open source apps or stick to the popular mainstream apps in the Google Play Store and Amazon AppStore.

]]>http://www.maketecheasier.com/use-f-droid-to-install-open-source-android-apps/feed/1Turn Your Android Tablet into a Sketchbookhttp://www.maketecheasier.com/turn-android-tablet-into-sketchbook/ http://www.maketecheasier.com/turn-android-tablet-into-sketchbook/#respondFri, 26 Jul 2013 23:25:33 +0000http://www.maketecheasier.com/?post_type=post-ideas&p=74212If you want to make full of your digital devices for your creative art, but are not keen to invest in some outrageously priced software, here is how you can turn your Android tablet into a sketchbook.

]]>The problem with being creative nowadays is you need to be kind of techy too. When you want to draw something, you can just use a sketchpad and pencil. But what happens when you are all finished and want to share it? Are you going to take a picture with your phone and share it on Twitter?

More than likely, you will have to invest in some outrageously priced software and a contraption to actually draw it on, totally ruining the artful inspiration. That is unless you have an Android and want to get a free app to let you make some great art. Let’s take a look at ArtFlow and see if you can draw a better stick figure with hair than I can. Think I’m joking? Scroll down and see my skills.

Starting out

What you will see when you are starting out with ArtFlow, is a bit of a tutorial. Take some time and read through what you can do and how to go about it. The better grasp you have on the app, even though it is pretty user-friendly, the more you can let your artistic vision flow into the pixels on the screen.

Pressing the arrow on the left side of the screen, you can adjust settings, import images, add a layer and so on.

Pressing the arrow on the right side will show your brushes, adjustment for your brushes and more.

I think most people prefer to use a stylus for drawing. If you have a stylus like the S-Pen, you can add less pressure to make a lighter line or add more pressure to have a darker line.

Creating your art

Initially, you may want to play around with the different brushes and see how they display on the screen. There are plenty of options that you can use to achieve the look you’d like to see.

Normally, you have to try and get the look you want by adjusting the opacity of the line or brush stroke. ArtFlow adds another option called Flow. The Flow looks more like adding less pressure than simply having a line that is more see-through. This a great way for you to get the look you’d like without having a pressure sensitive stylus.

Aside from the adjustments, you can create your art in layers much like you would in Photoshop. The free version only lets you have a few layers though.

When you are all done with your masterpiece, you can easily share it with other apps and/or people. The share option exports the image as a PNG.

Conclusion

ArtFlow is one of the few artistic apps out there that allows you to draw without having a doctoral degree in Photoshop. With the option to use a pressure sensitive pen, you can really have a similar feel to your digital drawing as you would on a paper medium.

What are your favorite apps for creating artwork or turning your tablet into a sketchbook?

]]>http://www.maketecheasier.com/turn-android-tablet-into-sketchbook/feed/0How to Run Android Apps In Full Screen Modehttp://www.maketecheasier.com/run-android-apps-in-full-screen-mode/ http://www.maketecheasier.com/run-android-apps-in-full-screen-mode/#respondThu, 25 Jul 2013 23:25:34 +0000http://maketecheasier.com/?post_type=post-ideas&p=68529Have you ever use an app and wish it could run in full screen mode? Here is an app that allows you to do just that - run Android apps in full screen mode

]]>Riddle me this. Have you been using an app and thought, “I wish I could run this app in full screen?” Well, I know I have. Many of the games and video apps out there let you run them in full screen mode, but what about the usual apps that you are using frequently? Let’s take a look at how to do just that.

The App to make other apps run in full screen mode

The developer of full!screen thought all of us might like a simple app to help you force all of those apps on your tablet to do your bidding. The app’s name pretty much describes what it does. The only stipulations are, your device needs to be rooted and running Android 3 and above.

The full screen mode is not activated by default. When you fire up the app for the first time, do take a look at the different settings before you enable full!screen.

You will also see the choice to enable full!screen when your device is rebooted. This is useful if you are planning to use full!screen all the time.

Where does the rest go?

full!screen is one of those apps that makes a change to the default behavior of Android or the app. This explains why it needs root access to do the job. One of the changes is to hide the other stuff normally on the screen, such as the Back, Home and Recent Apps button. When in full screen mode, some of your important on-screen buttons will go away. They are not gone or inaccessible, they are just hidden from sight until you need them.

You will be able to set touch areas. These are the spots you can access the hidden, yet really important navigation buttons.

Using full!screen

Once you have all of the adjustments set, using full!screen is pretty easy. I would recommend turning on the notification bar icon so you can easily activate full!screen.

When you have full!screen active, you will see some icons in the bottom corners of the screen. These icons react to touch, long-press and swiping. Each of the actions can perform a different task. For example, you can set the home button icon to open the app menu when swiped, go to the home screen when tapped and open the pie menu when long pressed. This is in fact, more control than having the normal Android navigation controls.

Conclusion

People, much like yourself, have a preference of how they would like to see their information. If that preference is in full screen mode and your Android phone or tablet is rooted, you will surely want to take a look at full!screen as a solution. The basic version is free, but there is a premium version if you required more features.

Do you have a way to run Android apps in full screen mode, perhaps without rooting? Let us know in the comments below.

]]>http://www.maketecheasier.com/run-android-apps-in-full-screen-mode/feed/0Automate Your Android Phone with Android Bot Makerhttp://www.maketecheasier.com/automate-android-phone-with-android-bot-maker/ http://www.maketecheasier.com/automate-android-phone-with-android-bot-maker/#respondSat, 29 Jun 2013 21:25:27 +0000http://www.maketecheasier.com/?post_type=post-ideas&p=76885The best thing about Android is the great number of ways you can customize it. Be it with rooting, automation or something as simple as a home screen launcher, you can customize almost anything to your liking. Android Bot Maker is one useful automation app that you don't see often. It is kind of a macros app to automate your Android phone or tablet.

]]>The best thing about Android OS is the great number of ways you can customize it. Be it with rooting, automating apps like Tasker or something as simple as a home screen launcher, you can customize almost anything to your liking. Something you don’t see often are automation apps that can help you with the little monotonous things you do on a daily basis. Android Bot Maker is kind of a macros app to automate your Android phone or tablet.

Before you go and download Android Bot Maker, there are a couple of requirements. First, your device needs to be rooted. The second is that you need to be running Android OS 4.1 or higher. If you meet this criteria, let’s get to how Android Bot Maker can make your days a little bit better. Keep in mind these will be repeating actions and run until you press the stop button.

Setting up a “Bot” to automate your Android phone

The process for creating a “Bot” takes some foresight. Most people are not going to know how to read the coordinates of where they are touching or swiping on the screen. What you will need to do is turn on the pointer settings on your device. To figure out the X or Y location for the swipe or tap location, follow this path in your Android menu settings: “Settings -> Developer options -> Show pointer location”.

You will need to grant Superuser permissions as well.

Once you have those on, you can see the information in the top bar of the overlay.

Now that you have that information, you can make your first Bot. Press the plus sign in the top left of the screen.

This will bring up your choices of actions.

For this example, I chose to make it swipe through my app drawer so I could test the functionality.

I started with a tap on my app drawer button. I had to go to the home screen and get the coordinates for the app drawer button while in landscape mode – x=1200 y=400.

Next I set Sleep for 1 second. You need to have some sort of sleep function, even if it is only 1 second, for the Bot to work.

I also needed to see how long the swipe needed to be to turn the page in the app drawer. Here are my settings – x1=1000 y1=400 x2=400 y2=400. This makes the swipe long enough and swipes the page in a place where there are no app icons.

To run the Bot, press the blue floating Play button the the left of the screen. Stop the Bot by pressing the stop button. When the Bot is started, Android Bot Maker taps the screen where the App Drawer button is, then swipes the page from right to left.

Other things to automate

While this example might not be a WOW demonstration, with a little creativity, you can make Bots to cheat at very simple games or add text to a SMS and have it annoy friends. You can always make it more complicated. Click on your Gmail icon, open a new composition window and add text to a specific contact if you want. Just remember to set a long Sleep time at the end so you have time to stop the Bot.

Conclusion

Android Bot Maker is an app still in Beta so they are still ironing out a few bugs. Overall the app worked well but took some trial and error to get some of the Bots to work the way I intended them to. I couldn’t get Android Bot Maker to add text to an SMS or any other app’s text field, yet all of the other parts worked really well so it may have just been my device or error.

Leave a comment if you have a rooted Nexus 7 and adding text works for you, or if you have another way to automate your Android phone.

]]>http://www.maketecheasier.com/automate-android-phone-with-android-bot-maker/feed/0Apply Others’ Homescreens to Your Android Phone With Buzz Launcherhttp://www.maketecheasier.com/apply-others-homescreens-with-buzz-launcher-android/ http://www.maketecheasier.com/apply-others-homescreens-with-buzz-launcher-android/#respondTue, 25 Jun 2013 23:25:19 +0000http://www.maketecheasier.com/?post_type=post-ideas&p=76096The good thing about Android phone is that you can customize the home screen to your liking and add widgets, shortcuts and a lot of cool custom designs. Buzz Launcher brings it further by allowing you to share your homescreen with others, or implement other's homescreen on your phone.

]]>Android phones are different from iPhones in the way they allow to customize your home screens. Not only can you change the places where the icons are and how many home screens you have, you can also add widgets, shortcuts and a lot of cool custom designs.

While this can make your Android home screen one-of-a-kind, you may want to share your home screen configuration with a friend or they with you. Buzz Launcher is a home screen app for Android devices that lets you share your home screen design with others. You can also use some cool-looking designs as a starting point to jump start your creativity.

What is Buzz Launcher?

Buzz Launcher is a home screen launcher. If you are new to Android or haven’t changed your launcher, there are many of choices out there. Each of them have their own unique features. If you are currently using a launcher like Nova Launcher or GO Launcher EX, Buzz Launcher will end up replacing it and become your favorite home screen management app.

After you download Buzz Launcher and open it, you will be given the option to bring over the app icons from your old home screen. Some of the third-party launchers do not allow this. I typically use Nova Launcher Prime, and it didn’t let me transfer any information over to Buzz Launcher on my Samsung S3 but did on my Nexus 7. If you want to start from scratch, you can choose not to bring anything over to Buzz Launcher.

From this point, you can start your design from scratch and upload it for the world to see. The other option is to download a design someone else has created and uploaded. There is a ridiculous amount of designs you can download from the Homepack Buzz. Think of it like a home screen design marketplace.

To add a new design to your phone’s screen, you will need to first find something you like. The Homepack Buzz is sorted into different categories and has a preview of the design.

When you find something you like, click the download button and the packet will be sent to your phone. You will be asked how you want to add the new design to your screen. You can replace it or append it. Replacing will delete your current setup and replace it with the new design. Appending your current home screen will add to what is currently there. This means if you have a design with three home screens and append it with a new design consisting of two home screens, you will see both designs and a total of five homepages.

If you like the look but want to make it a little more personalized, you can do this as well. When you download a design, there may be some widgets or apps to download as well. Some widgets are essential for the look and operation of the newly downloaded design. Not all of the apps or widgets required are going to be free, so keep that in mind.

Conclusion

Looking through the designs, I saw a lot of really great-looking designs for home screens to add some really good functionality and flair to an Android phone or tablet. While some people are extremely creative and/or have the time to make something really cool for themselves, not all of us can do it. Buzz Launcher is a great way to make your Android phone or tablet look really great really quickly using someone else’s creativity.

How do you come up with design ideas for your Android phone home screen?